An ICE agent has been involved in another shooting incident, marking the second such event within a short span of time after the tragic death of Renee Good, sparking unrest in Minneapolis with protesters taking to the streets.
Tensions escalated in Minnesota’s largest city as a federal agency officer shot a man in the leg, adding to the already charged atmosphere following the killing of American citizen Renee Good by officer Jonathon Ross on January 7.
Calls for calm and demands for the organization to vacate the city and state immediately were reiterated by city leaders, as images captured sparks flying amidst the chaos on the streets.
In a statement laced with political undertones invoking Joe Biden, the Department for Homeland Security stated that the victim, a Venezuelan migrant, had attempted to assault an ICE officer.
According to a department spokesperson, the altercation unfolded around 6:50 pm CT (12:50 am GMT) during a targeted traffic stop of an “illegal alien from Venezuela” who had been released into the country by Joe Biden. The migrant allegedly tried to escape, crashed his car, and fled on foot.
The immigrant reportedly resisted and assaulted the officer when confronted, leading to two other individuals attacking the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle.
Subsequently, the individual from the traffic stop turned on the officer with a shovel or broomstick, prompting the agent to fire his weapon. The DHS claimed that the agent fired in self-defense to protect his life. Both the officer and the subject were taken to the hospital.
The city of Minneapolis confirmed that the injured man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and called for the immediate departure of ICE from the city and state.
In response, the DHS criticized the public for resisting ICE enforcement actions, alleging an increase in assaults against law enforcement officers as they carry out their duties.
Minnesota is currently hosting around 3,000 ICE agents, a surge in deployment following the recent tragic incident involving Renee Good. The increased presence has faced opposition, with Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis accusing ICE of causing disorder and Governor Tim Walz referring to the deployment as an “occupation.”
